The present embodiments relate to a braking apparatus (device), in particular for slowing down a carriage.
Technical facilities (devices) may be secured to the ceiling of a room to provide for economical use of existing space. For more flexible deployment of devices suspended from the ceiling, longitudinal ceiling rails with carriages may be used to provide displacement or movement of the technical device secured to the carriage. Technical devices suspended from the ceiling may be found in factories and in hospitals, where medical diagnosis devices are secured in such a manner. For example, EP 1569557 A1 discloses an x-ray ceiling gantry with an x-ray device that can be moved along a longitudinal ceiling rail.
DE 19910289 A1 discloses a ceiling gantry, which includes a ceiling transporter for transporting an operating table top. The ceiling transporter is moved along rails attached to the ceiling by a carriage. The ceiling transporter is slowed down by magnetic brakes or magnetic rail brakes. The mode of operation of a magnetic rail brake is described in the German Wikipedia entry (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetschienenbremse). The magnetic rail brake generally includes iron contact shoes (pads) with built in electromagnets. When current flows through the electromagnet, the contact shoes are drawn to the rails. A braking friction force results.
For the mode of operation of the magnetic rail brakes it is necessary for the rails to be made at least partially of metal, to allow the operation of the magnetic rail brakes